


So, I found this waterfall...

by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella)



Series: Spreading Positivity 2020 [15]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Derek Hale Loves Stiles Stilinski, Don't copy to another site, Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Established Relationship, M/M, Pack Feels, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Stiles Stilinski Cares about Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski Loves Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski is a Nice Thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23422672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wasterella/pseuds/isthatbloodonhisshirt
Summary: In some ways, he hated that Matt had ruined swimming for him. Derek had never been the best swimmer, but he’d always beengood. Now he felt like even stepping foot in the shallow end would have him freeze up in fear.He didn’t know how Stiles wasn’t like that. After all, he’d almost drowned, too. But maybe the difference was that he’d been able to move his arms and legs whereas Derek hadn’t. There was literally nothing he could do to save them.He wished so badly he could’ve regained enough mobility, right there at the end. Could’ve gotten both of them above water, out of the pool. Could’ve helped Stiles like Stiles had helped him. Instead, he’d only gotten his body back under controlafterhe was already out of the pool. Stiles had been forced to do all the heavy lifting.Derek hated large bodies of water. And he also hated that he couldn’t enjoy them with his pack when it was clear they wanted him to have fun.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Spreading Positivity 2020 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1667605
Comments: 26
Kudos: 807





	So, I found this waterfall...

**Author's Note:**

> This one is a _little_ less happy, but still like, happy. It starts off with bad memories >.> But there's a Stiles to make it all better \o/

Ever since that fateful day in the pool at Beacon Hills high school eight years ago, Derek had had a problem with water. Not like, showering or drinking it or anything, he wasn’t _that_ bad. But just... anything where if he sat down, his head wasn’t above water, he couldn’t handle that. 

He knew it was something people probably mocked him for behind his back. He didn’t care, because those who mocked him didn’t understand what he’d been through. How scary it had been. How being a Werewolf hadn’t been enough to save him from drowning.

No, what had saved him from drowning was a human teenager, who barely weighed a hundred and fifty pounds soaking wet, struggling to keep them both afloat for _two hours_ when he could’ve just said, “Sorry bro,” and let Derek go. 

No, what had saved him was Stiles Stilinski being incapable of letting someone die, even if it meant he went down with him. Which he very nearly did. He’d held on to Derek, and had only let him go to call for help, desperate for someone to come before he wasn’t enough to save Derek anymore. They’d both almost drowned, _both of them_ , because Stiles had refused to let him go. If Scott hadn’t shown up when he had, Derek had no doubts that he would’ve been the cause of Stiles’ death.

They hadn’t even been dating back then. Hell, they hadn’t even been _pack_ back then, or even _friends_. And yet Stiles had still held him up, kept his head above water, while Derek hovered uselessly with all his limbs paralysed from the Kanima venom. 

He remembered the weeks after that. How he’d wake up gasping for air, drenched in sweat, positive he was back in that pool and drowning. It had taken him a long time to stop having those dreams, to stop being afraid of large bodies of water. 

The others in the pack knew, but they didn’t really talk about it. When they’d gone to the beach after graduation, Derek had joined them, but he’d stayed on the sand, far from the water, watching his pack play and swim and trying not to be anxious about it. 

Whenever they went to Lydia’s lakehouse for fun during the weekends or various public holidays, Derek always went, but he stayed inside with a book and tried not to listen to the others jumping off the pier into the water. Tried not to panic about what would happen if he heard one of them shouting that someone was drowning. 

No one ever did. They were all exceptional swimmers, and they always had fun. Derek wished he could have fun with them, but if water was involved, he did better when he was far away from it. 

In some ways, he hated that Matt had ruined swimming for him. Derek had never been the best swimmer, but he’d always been _good_. Now he felt like even stepping foot in the shallow end would have him freeze up in fear.

He didn’t know how Stiles wasn’t like that. After all, he’d almost drowned, too. But maybe the difference was that he’d been able to move his arms and legs whereas Derek hadn’t. There was literally nothing he could do to save them. 

He wished so badly he could’ve regained enough mobility, right there at the end. Could’ve gotten both of them above water, out of the pool. Could’ve helped Stiles like Stiles had helped him. Instead, he’d only gotten his body back under control _after_ he was already out of the pool. Stiles had been forced to do all the heavy lifting. 

Derek hated large bodies of water. And he also hated that he couldn’t enjoy them with his pack when it was clear they wanted him to have fun. 

Which was probably why Stiles had been acting all cagey for the better part of the morning before Derek finally put his book down with a sigh and turned to him. 

“What is it?” 

“What’s what?” Stiles asked innocently. 

“You want something.” 

“I mean, who doesn’t?” Stiles asked, and began ticking them off on his fingers. “Financial stability, a healthy retirement plan, a hot Werewolf husband, a job I actually enjoy—”

“Stiles,” Derek cut off, raising his eyebrows. “What is it?”

His boyfriend winced, rubbing the back of his head before pulling himself out of his desk chair and moving to sit on the end of the couch. Derek pulled his legs up to give him space, book still open on his chest, and waited while Stiles collected his thoughts. 

“So,” he said cautiously, “I found this waterfall...” 

Derek’s eyes widened and he sat up. “What?” All he could think about was Stiles having stumbled onto this amazing waterfall and having _stupidly_ jumped off it into the water below. It sounded like something he would’ve done, and it was a _miracle_ he was still alive! 

“Can you hear me out before you go all grr-argh on me?” Stiles asked, bringing both hands up and pretending to claw at the air. 

“Are you insane? You could’ve hurt yourself!”

Stiles narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Derek. “I have no idea where your brain went where you think I did something that warrants being scolded, but I feel like I should be offended. Doesn’t matter.” He shook the thought off. “Let me finish before you say no. I found a waterfall in the preserve, so the pack and I are gonna go out there tomorrow to cool off in the hot weather. I was hoping you’d come with us.” 

Derek felt his chest tighten, but he nodded automatically anyway. “Of course. I always do.” 

“I meant like, coming in with us.” Stiles held up both hands before Derek could say anything. “Before you freak out at me, I know you’re not big on swimming, but the reason I’m even bringing it up is because it’s like, a super shallow lake. The top part of the waterfall is like, massively deep and the thing of nightmares, for some reason, but the bottom part where the water lands is literally knee-height and trickles off down into a stream further down. You can sit in the water, and it’ll barely even go past your waist. And because it’s a waterfall, you can go under it and cool off and stuff, and it’ll just—be nice. Having you join in.” 

Derek stared at him for a long moment. So long that Stiles started fidgeting. He could tell based on his expression and the scents rolling off him that he wished he hadn’t said anything. It was clear Stiles felt bad, like he was pressuring him, and almost like he felt he’d overstepped. 

“It’s fine if you don’t want to,” Stiles finally said. “If you want to come and just sit on the side, that’s fine too. Or if you don’t want to come at all. It’s just—it’s hot. And we want to go and do things like this, but we don’t want to do them without you. We were just trying to find a place where you would feel comfortable and this seemed like a good one. But it’s totally cool if—”

“Okay.” 

“What, really?” Stiles asked, perking up instantly. His scent shifted to something a bit sweeter. Hope and excitement. 

“Yeah.” Derek closed the book and sat up, raking a hand through his hair. “I don’t like being afraid of the water. I never used to have a problem with it until the whole thing with the Kanima.” It took a conscious effort not to say, “With Jackson.” It hadn’t been his fault, so it wasn’t fair to blame him. “I think... if I start small, surrounded by pack, maybe I can be okay again.” 

“I promise it’s shallow,” Stiles said. “Isaac, Scott and I literally walked the entire thing earlier to be absolutely sure and the deepest it got was about mid-thigh on Scott. Even sitting down, you’d still be above water, but we’d keep you closer to the edge. Lydia doesn’t want to get her hair wet so she said she’ll stay with you in the shallower area, and we’re gonna bring some sandwiches and beers and stuff, and—”

“Stiles,” Derek said, leaning forward to kiss him lightly. “I said I’m in. You don’t need to list off what I’m going to do.” 

“I just want you to be comfortable,” he argued. “I don’t want you to feel pressured. We just really want you to come and have a good time with us, and we’ve been trying to make sure we could find something all of us could do together.” 

“And I appreciate it.” Derek kissed him again. “I have the most considerate pack, and the best boyfriend. Thank you.” 

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything. Am I an asshole?” Stiles’ face fell. “Oh my God, I’m a manipulative asshole!” 

“Stiles, you’re not an asshole,” Derek insisted, letting out a small laugh. “You want me to feel included, and you want to help me get over what happened in that pool. This waterfall sounds like a great idea, and I really appreciate that you took the time to wade through it to make sure it really wasn’t that deep.” 

“Yeah?” he asked uncertainly. 

“Yeah,” Derek confirmed, kissing him again. “But if we’re going out there for the whole day, we’re gonna need more than sandwiches.” He tossed his book onto the coffee table and checked the time. “We should grab some more food. Maybe have dinner and then head to the store to get some junk. Chips, veggie trays with dip, maybe some watermelon, fruit roll-ups.” 

“Fruit roll-ups?” Stiles asked with a smirk, climbing to his feet as well. “What are you, twelve?” 

“This coming from the guy who drinks Capri Sun and eats Lunchables once a week?” 

“That cheese and cracker Lunchable set is delicious!” Stiles argued, following Derek out of the loft. 

Derek just laughed the whole way down the stairs. 

**END.**

**Author's Note:**

> Teen Wolf (c) Jeff Davis 
> 
> Come chill with me on [Tumblr](https://isthatbloodonhisshirt.tumblr.com/).


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